President Akufo-Addo Launches National Public Sector Reform Strategy
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 8th August, 2018, launched the National Public
Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS), 2018-2023.
The Strategy, according to President Akufo-Addo,
“will lead to the creation of a new public service that is
fit-for-purpose, which will help guarantee the delivery of high quality
services for the Ghanaian people and the private sector.”
Speaking at the launch of the Strategy at the Accra
International Conference Centre, the President indicated that when Ghana
attained independence in 1957, an efficient public service, the envy of
many in the Region, was bequeathed to the nation.
“It has, over the years, contributed its quota to our
development and progress. In spite of its modest achievements, the
Ghanaian people, in recent years, have expressed dissatisfaction with
the systems of service delivery in the public sector. Whether it is
about absenteeism or lateness, incompetence or corruption, the public
sector is, today, unhappily, not seen in good light,” he said.
With successive Governments have undertaken various
forms of reforms of the public sector, which have not helped very much,
the President noted that the 2018 to 2023 NSPRS will review and
modernise the current structures, systems, processes and internal
management functions of the public sector, to support government’s
development priorities.
“It will also help create the conditions necessary
for the private sector to thrive, and, thereby, create employment
opportunities for the youth, all within the context of our overall
vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid,” he assured.
Human Resource
President Akufo-Addo stressed that a major goal of
the Reform will be to strengthen the human resource capacity of the
public sector to improve its delivery.
To this end, he indicated that public sector training
institutions will be resourced to help develop the requisite skills and
knowledge needed for the delivery of modern services.
“The process will also enhance the ethical foundation
of the public sector and, in addition, introduce change management
initiatives to deal with apathy, resistance and reform fatigue, which
have been the bane of previous attempts at reform,” he said.
Conditions of service
With modernised and improved working conditions key
to increasing productivity in the public service, the President stated
that there is going to be a systematic review of public sector
compensation in its entirety, with the institution of a suitable
performance-based reward system to help guarantee increased
productivity.
“The review will pursue opportunities for upgrading
office space, and provide the necessary tools and equipment to improve
the work environment within the Service. Additionally, a central assets
and inventory check system to take stock of all physical assets in the
public service will be established. Furthermore, a culture of
maintenance of public assets and property must be revived and adhered
to,” he added.
Other areas of concern in Government’s pursuance of
reforms in the public sector, President Akufo-Addo noted, will be the
strengthening of local government structures and the digitization of
public sector services and systems.
With the mainstreaming and transforming and
mainstreaming ICT in government agencies, he stated that “ultimately,
the public sector will go paperless, and reduce drastically the
interface that currently exists between citizens and public servants in
the provision of services.”
President Akufo-Addo assured the Ghanaian people that
this reform strategy will not suffer the same fate as past ones, as
“matters relating to policy formulation and implementation, monitoring
and evaluation, reporting and accountability, have been well factored
into this strategy to ensure its smooth take off.”
Under the day-to-day supervision of the Senior
Minister, and with Government ensuring the availability of resources for
the implementation of this reform strategy, the President was confident
that the National Public Sector Reform Strategy will be a great
success.
He, therefore, urged members of the public service to
embrace these reforms, for they represent effective means for the
creation of a public service that will deliver for the citizenry and the
private sector.
“An efficient public service will help realise our
vision of a self-reliant, prosperous Ghana. It should serve as the
impetus for re-shaping our country and charting a new path of growth and
development in freedom, which will help deliver a dignified, prosperous
standard of life to the Ghanaian people,” he concluded.
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